Hurricanes’ return of Kochetkov raises questions about three-goalie system – Hockey Writer – Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have a decision to make. Pyotr Kochetkov was activated from injured reserve at the end of October, but both goalkeepers have performed well to start the season. Kochetkov’s inconsistency has been a talking point for a few years, but Frederik Andersen and Brandon Busey may have sparked a goaltending controversy in Carolina.
Kochetkov was the Canes heir apparent for several seasons but failed to earn the honor. He had a save percentage of 0.897 and a goals-against average of 2.60 last season. The season after that, he showed off his talent and upside with a .911 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average.
He’s been knocking on the starting door but has been terrible, which has kept Frederik Andersen in the starting role. Now, with Brandon Busey on the scene, what happens to Kochetkov?
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First, Andersen’s status was not threatened. Despite starting the season with an .894 save percentage, he’s still the guy to beat in the crease because we know what Anderson can do. He has only had one season with a save percentage below .900 since joining the Hurricanes, with .899 in 2024-25. He went on to become one of the team’s best players in the playoffs with a .907 mark. Is he excellent? No, but this is the best the Hurricanes have seen in the past few seasons.
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His experience and longevity mean the Hurricanes could still potentially turn to him before nodding to any of their young options. Anderson has only played in one bad playoff series with the Hurricanes, in 2023 against the New York Rangers. Beyond that, he’s one of the reasons for the team’s success.
In the playoffs, he had a 2.16 goals-against average and a 0.909 save percentage in 32 games. That works for a defense that will want to keep him around for more important moments later in the season.
Busey’s success
When Bussey was claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers on Oct. 5, many viewed the move as a safety net in case Cayden Primeau, the Hurricanes’ goaltender acquired from the Montreal Canadiens and set to be the No. 3 goaltender this season, was claimed off waivers. As it turned out, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed him on October 6, so Busey was assigned the three spot and filled in for Kochetkov in his absence.
That was until Busey gave the Hurricanes their biggest headache. In four games this season, Busey has a 3-1 record, a .916 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average. While the sample size is small, the southpaw from Thunder Beach, Long Island, has done his job so far.
Hurricanes goalie coach Paul Schoenfeld wanted to sign the 27-year-old right-handed goaltender and was vocal about it during the preseason, but Busey opted to join the Florida Panthers when his contract with the Boston Bruins expired. Carolina then took the opportunity to claim him off the waiver wire, and now Busey has sparked a debate over goaltending.
Kochetkov’s answer
How did Kochetkov react after starting his first game on Tuesday night? He defeated the New York Rangers 3-0, becoming the first Hurricane to defeat an opponent this season. He couldn’t do better, and he needed it as questions began to arise about his future. Anderson stayed in Carolina for this game, presumably to rest.
Anderson is unlikely to be a starter in the next two games; the Hurricanes face the Minnesota Wild on Thursday and the Buffalo Sabers on Saturday. However, after a dazzling debut against a struggling but still deadly opponent, he has put on the ring.
Hurricanes will benefit from three-goaltender rotation
Kochetkov’s strong performance gives the Hurricanes three options this season. Although Anderson missed most of the game due to knee surgery, deep vein thrombosis (which he thankfully recovered from), and MCL issues, he produced outstanding results when he was in the lineup.
Having Kochetkov and Bussey can only benefit Carolina. While that could mean an extended period without playing time, Kochetkov is fresh off an injury, Anderson needs rest given his age, and Bussey’s goalie is fighting for his spot in the NHL and they don’t need three nets. Anderson needs a few days to rest and recover, and protecting him in the playoffs should be the Hurricanes’ top priority. There is merit to debate here.
Who will the Hurricanes rely on when Anderson is rested? I think we’ll see a rotation of the two until one starts to falter. A position considered by some to be Carolina’s weakness has quickly become one of the team’s strengths, and the Hurricanes couldn’t go wrong with who they choose in Anderson. Based on what we’ve seen so far, whether the Hurricanes rely on Kochetkov or Bussey, the crease will be well controlled.
